So is Tony Pulis obsessed with Arsene Wenger or is it love? What has the Stoke fans signing nothing else but songs about Wenger when at an away match against CHELSEA?
He has reported Arsenal to the FA and the Premier League for Wenger's comments regarding their style of 'football.' I could go and get some stats that back Wenger up, but I can't be bothered, you all know they prefer to use their hands than their feet (unless they're kicking other players).
Perhaps it is simply the manifestation of 'little man' complex (and little club complex) but whatever it is they have really out done themselves this time.
It seems that they can say what they like about us, but dare we mention them? Watch out! After all, remember when Pulis said Wenger could 'keep his opinions' when talking about Shawcross immediately after he Eduardo'd Ramsey? Wenger isn't allowed opinions you know.
Why is it acceptable for managers such as Pulis, O'Neill, Hughes, Ferguson, Allardyce and Brown to say whatever the hell they like about Wenger, but when he dares utter a word about the thuggery which their teams employ he is the devil incarnate.
If you want some indication of Pulis's (alleged) delusional state, apart from the fact that Shawcross is not only in his team but also his captain, you just have to look at the fact they want £10m for Begovic.
Seriously.
Get. A. Fucking. Grip.
Wenger originally said “When you see how Shawcross kicked Gomes, how Huth pushed Gomes in the goal, you cannot say that’s football anymore. You cannot have players whose main role is to stop the goalkeepers from catching the ball and not even go for the ball.” We know why he said it, it had nothing to do with Stoke and everything to do with Blackburn. Do you think an issue would have been made if Ferguson had've said it?
So they are suing us for the slur on the character of their captain Ryan Shawcross (and some other frivolous lawsuit as they bid to become this years Hull). If daring to say the serial leg-breaker kicked someone is an assault on his character then you need to quit being so goddam touchy. If he's breathing it's a safe bet he's kicking someone and what Wenger got wrong was that Shawcross's lack of ability to execute a tackle properly, and the recklessness with which he plays would not be tolerated on the rugby pitch.
Is anyone else terrified of going to the Britannia later in the season for the damage that those thugs are likely to inflict? Let's remember, their captain is the man who shattered Aaron Ramsey's leg - his third leg break. This is the man who only last week almost ripped Gareth Bale's calf from his leg with his studs while making no attempt to play the ball, the man who was lucky not to break the ex-25's ankle, off the pitch, and who, by all reports put in another 'clumsy' tackle yesterday to give away a penalty. This is a man who doesn't think he needs to change his game as he does nothing wrong.
To accuse him of merely kicking someone is actually doing his fucking character a solid.
Let me ask you something. Is there any other manager in the league who affords such courtesy to ALL media representatives? And is there any other manager who comes in for a quarter of the criticism compared to Wenger? Fuck them all and just give interviews to Arsenal TV.
To be fair, all the journalists on Sunday Supplement, for the main part, stuck up for Arsene. Martin Samuel said he was surprised Pulis hadn't phoned the police as he'd phoned just about everyone else while Patrick Barclay said he watched the Stoke v Spuds match and came to the same conclusions as Arsene and was glad he brought it up. Patrick Barclay, was, of course, the best of the lot, finishing the segment by saying he would far rather football was run by Wenger's rules than anyone else's. He also pointed out, for anyone that cared to listen after they'd parroted the line regarding Wenger's red card record that most of Arsenal's red cards were for retaliating to bad challenges and Arsenal were never a dirty team. The fact that we've sat top or near it in the fair play league for approximately the last five years (2008/2009 was a blip) seems to pass most people by as well (I didn't realise you get £30,000 for winning it - so we have won something in the last five years ha!)
But let's not lose sight of the big issue here folks and get lost in that mini-media love-in. Leg breaking good, mild comments regarding physicality BAD. Paedophile chants funny, personal opinion of Arsenal manager the spawn of satan. Alex Ferguson irritable, ignorant and nasty but beyond reproach. Wenger accessible, friendly, courteous so open for slaughter on a weekly basis.
For the majority of managers, fans, and journalists, Wenger will continue to be an easy target but that shows their ignorance of what he has done to help make this the best league in the World.
We know that at least.
If you'd read Allardyce's comments last week about Arsene not being the type of man to share a drink with other managers post-match because, well, he's a stuck-up foreigner (I might have paraphrased but you know that's what he meant) then have a
read at the last paragraph here.
Holloway, once again, shows that to be an English manager you don't have to be an enormous, Fergie-wannabe twat.
Interesting from Twitter (I'm thinking of making this a regular bit in the blog, opinions on that appreciated, I know a lot of you love the stats):
RT @YoungGunsBlog: Blackburn fans sang "Aren’t you supposed to be in Spain" to Cesc. Gooners sang back "aren't you supposed to be in The Championship". Class.
RT @CaptainArsenal: Henry Scores His First Goal in #MLS - New York Times
http://viigo.im/4FpP
RT @vieirasboots: I'm no big fan of Rugby but it doesn't deserve thug cunts like Shawcross associated with it's sport
RT @Goonerific Harry has a lot to learn on dealing with the pressure&his team are kidding themselves if they think the hard part is over.
RT @JamieDalton82: Good to see Lineker and Shearer nailing that cock Hansen
RT @Orbinho: Alex Song completed 70 of the 81 passes he attempted (86%)
RT @JamieDalton82: Shay Given is expected in London tomorrow to speak with Fulham about a loan move.
RT @Orbinho: Theo Walcott has converted 36% of his chances so far. The league average for forwards is 16%.
RT @Orbinho: FT Stats Blackburn-Arsenal Shots 14-12 On target 3-4 Corners 4-7 Possession 36%-64% Passing accuracy 66%-80% Duels Won % 45%-55%
RT @Orbinho: Abou Diaby completed 61 out of 68 passes - 90% - the best of the starters. Tomas Rosicky completed all 11 when he came on.
RT @modgooner: @RobbieSavage8 Arsenal fans were singing "yor just a fat robbie savage"to salgado yesterday haha genius
That's your lot for today, me and my LadyFlu are away back to bed. Perhaps I can sleep the interlull away?